HENNIKER, N.H. – Veronica Hytner scored a goal and assisted on another to lead New England College to a 3-1 win over Maine Maritime Academy in North Atlantic Conference (NAC) women's soccer on Saturday. Hytner factored in on the Pilgrims (8-7-2, 3-4-1) first and final goal in a wild first half.

Hytner started things off in the 15th minute, feeding a pass through the middle onto the foot of Taylor Smith. Smith went to the lower-right corner of the Mariners (0-14, 0-9 NAC) cage to give her tam the early jump.

The next three goals of the game entered the net on shots fired off of defenders. A little over four minutes after Smith scored, Kaylee Thrasher banked one in off of a Mariners defender to make it 2-0. Thrasher's goal held up as the game winner. It only took Maine Maritime 13 seconds to cut the difference back to a single goal. The Mariners' Dani Holt (Portland) struck a free kick that went into the Pilgrims net off of a defender to make it 2-1. The marker was Holt's first this season.

Less than 10 minutes later, Hytner posted the insurance tally, with the shot again redirecting off of a MMA defender.

The Mariners keeper, Taylor O'Malley (Middletown, R.I.) recorded 15 saves in being saddled with the loss. Tricia Sardagnola stopped a pair of Maine Maritime shots in taking the win.

Maine Maritime returns to action this afternoon, wrapping up the 2011 season with a match against Maine-Presque Isle.

Goals by period          1 2 Tot
Maine Maritime.......... 1 0 - 1
New England College. 3 0 - 3

SCORING SUMMARY:

1. 14:27 NEC Taylor Smith (5) (Veronica Hytner)
2. 18:40 NEC Kaylee Thrasher (1) (Emily Girard) - deflection off defende
3. 18:53 MMA Dani Holt (1) (unassisted) - free-kick, redirected off defende
4. 27:40 NEC Veronica Hytner (9) (unassisted) - redirected off defender

Shots: Maine Maritime 4, New England College 3
Saves: Maine Maritime 15 (Taylor O'Malley 15), New England College 2 (Tricia Sardagnola 2)

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